This tutorial will explain how to install Nvidia 295.40 drivers in ubuntu 12.04/11.10 using PPAWhat is new in Nvidia 295.40

Added support for the following GPUs:
GeForce GT 635M
GeForce 610M
Closed a security vulnerability which made it possible for attackers to reconfigure GPUs to gain access to arbitrary system memory. For further details, see: http://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3109
Fixed a bug that caused DisplayPort devices to occasionally fail to turn back on after the system is resumed from suspend.
Added a ModeValidation X configuration option token, "AllowNon3DVisionModes", to allow modes that are not optimized for NVIDIA 3D Vision to be validated on 3D Vision monitors.

Note:-After installing these drivers it might break your system so install them with your own risk

Works well with mine, although it’s a gtx550 but I don’t think there’s much diference. The only problem is sometimes fails to compile the kernel module and I have to repeat the installation via tty without gui after rebooting. But it might be because I’m using a custom kernel. It ceirtanly increases graphics performance since the former version.

The same here, since I updated the drivers from the ppa in the post jockey doesn’t show them. It may be because it tries to search the older ones. I won’t worry about, since it says the module is loaded in the kernel. Try “glxinfo | grep direct” and if the output says yes they must be properly installed. Good luck!

Compiz shouldn’t eat CPU, is more GPU dependant. And it runs fine in my old netbook. Try this (sorry I can’t point you to the website where I found it, I didn’t keep the adress, only this tweak):
CompizConfig Settings Manager from the Software Centre and disabled a few options

and finally, i have no GUI Desktop and logs show that:
NVRM: API mismarch: the client has the version 295.49, but
NVRN: this kernel module has the version 304.43
NVRN: make sure that this kernel module and all NVIDIA driver
NVRN: components have the same version.